Every week I do a column full of comic book reviews as I’ve done since March 2003 and currently published at Comic Book Resources. Then, after the reviews post, I try to come over to my blog and expand on the thoughts and ideas listed there. Sometimes it’s profound, sometimes it’s gibberish, but it’s always about comics … let’s see what we get this week!

I overestimated my resources, trying to keep up with blogs, National Poetry Writing Month, the family man thing, the day gig thing and, oh yeah, launching a pop culture phenomenon called Komplicated all in one month. Something had to give. Family’s fine. Komplicated is fine. The rest … we do what we can. That’s no excuse, that’s just how it is.

MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU … OR NOT: Comics came out on May 4th, recognized as “Star Wars Day” by those in the know due to being able to sound like Lucas memorable phrase, “may the Force be with you.” There’s May 25th (the day the first movie hit) for purists, but this one is no secret. Were there any Star Wars comics for sale from the license holders, Dark Horse? No. There was, admittedly, one for Free Comic Book Day three days later, but that’s not the same, is it?

I love Star Wars with a passion that borders on being scary. I’ve spent literally thousands of dollars through out my life to help Jett Lucas and hs descendants have college tuition. I get that. The idea that Dark Horse can’t consistently publish a Star Wars comic that I would pay for is inconceivable.

I know what’s wrong, of course. By and large, the artwork has been posterish and lacked dynamism. The stories have been byzantine and lacked quotability, memorable action (aside from Yoda’s Death Star ploy in Infinities, which just lacked visual grandeur) or gripping characterization. Some of that has to do with Lucasfilm’s twitchiness, probably, but still.

Would I ever pitch stories set in the Tatooine sandbox? Dark Horse doesn’t take cold pitches and failing to break into comics the last ten or so years has proven to me that such an approach is like lottery winners getting hit by lightning. Possible, but unlikely. So I pine for saber swinging, star destroying high adventure and move on, keeping my dollars in my pocket.

Mmm. Yeah. 30 poems in 30 days … maybe not when launching a new niche pop culture phenomenon like Komplicated. Whee. What’s worse is that I stumbled just four poems from being done. Argh. Anyway …

Extra trips are never a concern for the determined.
Collected grocery bags
piled on floor or seats
never an impediment.

Like crimson ants
following chemical breadcrumb
laid down by identical trailblazers
Thought of “how much work”
forbidden distraction.
One foot follows one before,
another step right behind
religion of momentum
shark science
leaving complaints and cessation
for grasshoppers and others
not so driven to build.

“Inexorable”
By Hannibal Tabu

Oy. Just a pit stop between doing big things like booking Tracie Thoms for an interview on May 29th. You know, like you read about.